Mustard Carbonate Analogues as Sustainable Reagents for the Aminoalkylation of Phenols

The nitrogen mustard gas moiety is present as a basic, amine-containing side chain in numerous pharmacophore scaffolds engaging in crucial interactions with targeted biological macromolecules. Herein, a one-pot synthetic approach for the easy introduction of nitrogen mustard-like moieties through dialkyl carbonate chemistry into different phenolic substrates is reported. The scope and limitations of this reaction as a chlorine-free direct substitution of the phenolic −OH group have been investigated.